Photo: Collected

DHAKA, Oct 24, 2025 (BSS) – Janice Farzana Tania, an LLB graduate, has transformed her passion for tradition into a thriving entrepreneurial venture rooted in the cultural heritage of Jashore. Her brand, “Alia’s Collection”, celebrates the region’s iconic Jashore stitch through sarees, punjabis, shawls, and salwar kameez — blending timeless craftsmanship with modern style.

“My mother was the closest person to me,” Farzana recalled. “After her death, I was devastated. To cope with loneliness, I opened a Facebook page in her name in 2016.”

That emotional connection soon became the foundation of her business dream. “I thought I could start something online in 2017 — something that would keep my mother’s memory alive,” she said. “So, in mid-2017, I began my journey with sarees, shawls, and three-pieces.”

Today, “Alia’s Collection” stands as a well-known brand for Jashore stitch products, employing groups of women artisans from remote areas. Together, they are weaving garments that beautifully merge tradition with modernity.

“Clothes are an inseparable part of our lives,” she said. “Whatever we do in our daily routine, we cannot spend a single moment without them. That’s why I decided to take the initiative to design and promote this essential product.” 

Farzana said, “I was born and raised in Magura, where I also completed most of my education. Since childhood, I have been familiar with Jashore stitch products. I began this journey with the dream of winning customers’ hearts by blending modern styles with the rich tradition of Jashore stitching, and carrying this heritage forward. Now, I feel content with every step of progress I make.” 

She said, “The biggest challenge is to impart training to girls in remote areas to work the way I do and ensuring everyone stays engaged regularly. It’s difficult for others to immediately understand the unique style of my work. Since many of our girls work alongside managing their families, they can’t always join every day. That’s why I have increased the number of workers — so even if a few are absent at the same time, our production doesn’t stop.” 

She said, “In the beginning, my initiative was entirely Facebook-based. But I realized that many buyers prefer to shop outside Facebook — they want to view all the products in one place. I also noticed a group of customers who like to browse product details together rather than inquire through Facebook or WhatsApp messages. Considering their convenience, we launched the e-commerce website of Alia’s Collection, where all our products are now being uploaded.”

She added that buyers can now regularly visit the website, explore the collections, and place their orders easily without any hassle.

Farzana said having a website is essential for any initiative. Even if it’s not an e-commerce platform, at least a blog site is needed to share customer reviews, along with useful tips and tricks.

She explained that such efforts help build customer trust, improve Google rankings, and effectively introduce products to a wider audience. “If we can showcase our products there, new and unfamiliar customers will discover us — which helps carry our dreams forward and expand our market reach,” she added.

Farzana said, “Each of our products is handmade, which makes every design unique. There’s no possibility of one item being 100% identical to another. In some cases, the color of the yarn may vary slightly. Earlier, this used to cause some confusion, but now we inform buyers in advance that there might be minor variations.” 

She said certain products need to be kept in large stock. “For instance, for Punjabis, we have to maintain multiple sizes and colors within a single design, which requires higher investment,” she explained. “Even then, it’s often challenging to meet every buyer’s preferred size and color. That’s why we take customized orders, allowing some time to prepare and deliver them.”

Farzana added, “Many customers also want matching family combos — where husbands, wives, and children wear the same color outfits for festivals or special occasions. We try our best to fulfill these requests, though sometimes it becomes a bit difficult due to their limited time.”

She said, “We aim to showcase Jashore stitch products to the new generation by blending tradition with modernity. To achieve this, we are focusing more on our website and introducing new designs to attract buyers. Once we gain stronger online recognition, our next goal is to open a physical showroom.” 

She said some entrepreneurs can even enhance the packaging of their products through her initiative. “I created a Facebook group under the name of my initiative for other local-product entrepreneurs. They manage their businesses independently within the group, buying and selling in their own way. I hope to introduce more initiatives to make their journey easier. In the future, I also plan to start an educational scholarship for the children of my employees.”